To that end, we drove to Sonic Drive-In and immediately wondered, what took us so long? Open since 2015 in Cheektowaga, Sonic is a hoot. From the drive-in stanchion and carhops on roller skates, to classic music, we loved it. (A hot rod Monte Carlo SS 1980-ish pulled in after us, making it even more fun.)

A quick check of the Sonic website notes it started as a drive-in in 1953 in Shawnee, Okla., and “SONIC revolutionized the ordering process by using curbside speakers that allowed customers to place food orders without ever leaving their cars.” Well, then.

Tina and Ron Alessi of Corfu enjoy their lunch on the patio. (Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News)

Of course, we had to try the drive-in feature. Craning our necks out the window to see the menu, we were grateful we brought the lithe 14-year-old nephew who could actually lean out and push the button when the time came to order.

The menu has much to take in (ignore the calories). Burgers, hot dogs and fantastic fried food like tater tots, fries, popcorn chicken, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, and boneless wings comprise the menu.

In short, Sonic has what you want when you want to eat bad, which is sometimes a good thing.

Sonic carhop Matt Grieve takes an order to a customer. (Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News)

The slick operation let us pay with a card right there. Cash is the other option. The screen kept track of our order’s progress. We waited, breath bated, as carhops navigated the busy parking lot. After a short wait, ours whizzed in.

We are giving Sonic three Jolly Ranchers (instead of three Michelin stars). Our burger came with the right toppings. Service was friendly and super efficient. Our gal even checked back after we had started eating to make sure everything was OK. We also got plenty of napkins, straws, and even a fork in the footlong dog bag.

The food was good too. The cheeseburger was a nice size, with plenty of American cheese, pickles and ketchup as requested. The Coney footlong, a beef dog, was topped with warm chili and fabulous creamy (dare we say Velveeta-esque) cheese.

I felt a little guilty looking at Ted’s across the parking lot. But hey, the Coney was darn tasty. My bun was even warm.

The 14-year old noted his popcorn chicken, “was the bigger kind, like at Disney.” Onion rings were crunchy and the fries were solid. They’d lost heat on the way to the car, but were still solid.

Shakes and float were outstanding. The strawberry cheesecake had real bits of strawberry and was super creamy. Not too thick or thin either.

Mini shakes ($2.29-plus) are good for those who don’t want a giant shake or a little kid who can't finish a big one. A nice option. Sonic also serves sundaes and Sonic Blasts (with Reese’s and Oreos) and Master Blasts, their version of Blizzards.

Having lunch from left are Christina Clark-Conerly and her daughter Kamaria Conerly, both of Buffalo. (Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News)